06/10/2025
Dear friends & clients.
As you are aware, CJ Lawnscaping support the Ehlers-Danlos UK Support Foundation.
A friend of ours Melanie Hartshorn unfortunately suffers from this condition. She has shown great courage and determination to undergo several operations in the past and despite that she had recently qualified as a teacher which is her passion in life.
She has recently been advised that she requires further surgery, which will dramatically improve her life.
Unfortunately, her surgery is not funded by the NHS and as a result, she relies on fundraising to cover her medical bills, travel and accommodation.
If you can make even the smallest donation, share her posts, or raise awareness of this deabilitating condition, then we just ask that you take some time out to read her story. If you could make a donation then the relevant links are listed.
Thank you for your amazing support and we offer our best wishes to Melanie.
Thank you.
Good news and bad newsโฆโฆ
So I had my appointment this afternoon with the lovely thoracic surgeon who assisted in the big surgery I had 2years ago!
He said the good news is they can help surgically, and can take care of me and have a plan in place, which they could do in as soon as 2-3weeks timeโฆ. However itโs going to be expensive (thatโs the bad bit ๐ญ)!
I have no money so I canโt do that without the funds. Why is it that my life always seems to depend on money these days?! ๐ญ
Theyโre working to get a quote for me now ASAP but itโs going to be expensive as I need a minimum of 3 ribs (probably 4 or 5) fused at the back - to my spine.
This is why itโs complex, the surgery needs the thoracic surgeon (the one who assisted in my other surgery) and MY neurosurgeon Dr Gilete to assist. As one of the spinal rods needs replacing with a new one, that will be compatible with the rib fusion system.
This is so they can connect the rib fusion hardware for all of my unstable ribs, to the spinal rods I already have -in my thoracic spineโฆ. And this is why it needs to be done here, in Barcelona.
He said itโs important to have it done as soon as possible as theyโre so unstable (usually only seen in car crash victims!) that theyโre actually dislocating in all directions, when I simply breatheโฆ. The big risk is that more ribs will become unstable, if left like this for too longโฆ.!
The issue there is that, the more ribs you have to fuse, the more restricted my breathing would be, for the rest of my life- and the worse the surgical outcome would be.
So itโs really important to have it done ASAP for that vital reason, let alone the fact Iโm suffering immeasurably, with agonising pain just from breathingโฆ which is triggering life threatening adrenal crisis constantly & proving impossible to manage.
My body simply canโt cope with the pain despite being maxed out on pain medications!
Iโm fighting crisis all the time and suffering all the symptoms including blood sugar drops (so low theyโre undetectable on the machine) before steroid doses.
As for my studies, Iโve started my PGCE & Iโve been watching my lectures from bed here despite being so unwell, but I may have to postpone or extend my studies if I canโt get surgery soon ๐ข as thereโs no way I can manage going into school whilst this unwell.
Iโm so worried Iโm going to have to come home, to fundraiseโฆ. and that too much time and damage will be done, and it will be too late.
If all my 3.4K followers could donate a tenner each, weโd be a huge chunk of the way there to pay for the surgery!
And if you canโt donate, please, please interact with my posts! Comment a ๐, like and share them all, tag peopleโฆ. help spread the word!
Itโs a free way to help and I appreciate it SO much!
Love & hugs,
From a very sad & desperate Mel
Thank you!
#๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ข๐๐ฌ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐จ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐๐
Alternative ways to donate:
๐ https://gofund.me/b6fe4799
๐https://www.melanies-mission-eds.org.uk/donate-now/
PayPal:
๐ https://www.paypal.com/pool/9hg3NBUuDn?sr=wccr
Or to [email protected] via PayPal friends and family!